Five Shadows
by Tytoman
Summary: Ansem's apprentices are back, and they've taken Sora's heart. It's up to Kairi, Roxas, and some new friends to get it back. any new worlds I can think of, plus some old favorites.
1. Destiny Islands

_Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own any of the disney movies, characters, concepts, games, or other media appearing or referenced in any chapter of this story._

_That said, read, enjoy, and if you like it, please review._

Destiny Islands

Sora swept the Keyblade in a wide arc, and the Shadow dissolved into swirls of darkness. "I think that's the last one."

Behind him, another Shadow peeled itself up off of the ground. It crouched, ready to pounce on Sora's unprotected back. It had barely left the ground when a bolt of lightning crashed down on its head.

Sora spun toward the sound, but someone had already rushed past him and dispatched the Heartless with a quick stab of her weapon. "No, _that_ was the last one," she corrected. "You're really losing your edge."

"Or else you're getting better."

"Can't argue with that." They shared a laugh as Kairi straightened, brushing a strand of deep red hair from her eyes. Her Keyblade, the Flowering Strength, briefly caught the sunlight as she banished it.

The six months since their return to the Islands had started out peacefully. It was nice to catch up with the other islanders, and seeing their homes restored had given Sora a feeling of happy nostalgia. Heck, He'd even missed school. Sora, Kairi, and their friend Riku had welcomed the return to normalcy. The peace had lasted just long enough for things to feel a little boring.

And then the Heartless began reappearing. It started off small; small groups of Shadows, the occasional Red Nocturne, nothing really dangerous. Then the groups got larger, the heartless tougher, and they started showing up more often. The three friends kept things under control, but it had been getting harder every day.

More recently, the heartless attacks had lightened up. Sora wasn't sure whether that was a good thing, or a sign of bigger trouble.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about? You know, before all that."

"Hmm?" It took a minute for Sora to remember, then it came to him. "Oh, right! But we should really wait for Riku first."

"Okay, now I'm really curious." Kairi frowned, but brightened a moment later. "He said he was heading for the Island. Why don't we meet him there?"

"Sure." A thought struck the boy, and he fought down a grin. "Let's go."

Kairi turned and started toward the dock where the young islanders kept their boats. It took her a moment to realize Sora wasn't behind her.

She searched for her friend, but couldn't see him anywhere on the beach. Then she heard a shout coming from the water, and turned to find him leaping among the waves. His legs were gone, replaced by a dolphin's tail.

Kairi stared at him, her eyes wide with surprise. He laughed. "I had Donald show me this before he left. It's easier than it looks, and a lot faster than rowing."

Kairi grinned. "You are _so_ teaching me that!"

"Why not? We've got some time."

After a few minutes of instruction, Kairi managed to give herself a similar tail (pink rather than blue). She quickly got the hang of swimming, and together they raced to the island.

There were many islands among the chain that made up their home, but this particular island was special to the pair. They had been coming here with their friends for as long as either could remember. It held years of memories: sparring matches, forts they'd built, and hours of just being together, talking and watching the sunset. It was here that Sora, Kairi, and Riku had built their raft.

And it was here that a much stranger craft had now landed.

* * *

When Sora and Kairi reached the island, they were greeted by a familiar, if unexpected, sight. What looked like a very large version of a child's toy spaceship had landed in the cove. It was a vibrant red, with the occasional yellow piece.

Sora frowned at the thing. "What's a gummi ship doing here?"

They transformed into their normal selves and walked closer to the ship, where two familiar figures were conversing. The first was Riku, a tall, muscular teen with silver hair who had been their close friend since childhood. The other was much shorter, with large, round ears.

Riku was the first to notice them. He waved "'Bout time you got here. We've-" He paused, taking in their wet hair and clothes. "Did you guys actually _swim_ here?"

"Yup," Sora answered, not bothering to explain. He turned to the smaller figure. "Your Majesty. What're you doing here?"

King Mickey, the diminutive ruler of Disney Castle, looked seriously into the boy's eyes. "Bad news, guys. The castle's under siege."

There was a long moment of silence as the news sunk in. Disney Castle was protected by a powerful magical artifact, the Cornerstone of Light. As long as it stood safe and sound underneath the throne room, no Heartless could set foot on the world. The castle had only come under siege once before, and that time only through a major alteration of the its past. "Could someone have…"

The little king shook his head. "The Timeless River's been locked up tight. I sealed it myself." Mickey was a fellow Keyblade wielder, so whatever door he locked would stay closed, magical or otherwise. "It's the darndest thing. Some Heartless got into the hall and damaged the Cornerstone. Then all these others showed up." He looked at each of them in turn. "We need your help."

Sora's face grew determined. "You've got it." Riku nodded his agreement, and they moved to board the ship.

"Hold on, guys," Kairi objected. "We can't just leave."

"Kairi, they need our help."

"I know that," she explained, "but there's Heartless here, too. We're the only ones holding them back."

There was silence. Kairi had a point. The Heartless could hurt a lot of people if someone didn't keep them under control.

Sora was the first to speak up. "Okay, I think I've got it." He turned to the ship's cockpit. "Hey! Chip, Dale! You in there?"

Two fuzzy brown faces popped over the edge: one sharp and intelligent, one goofy, with buckteeth and a red nose. "Hey, Sora!" the first piped up, "Good to see ya! What's up?"

"How soon can you guys get another ship here?"

The chipmunks huddled in brief conversation. After perhaps half a minute, Dale spoke up. "Sunset sounds about right. Why?"

Sora nodded, then turned to the King. "Can you spare Kairi and me till then?" When the mouse nodded, Sora continued. "Okay. Riku'll go with you for now. His help should be enough till we can get there. Meantime, we'll get Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka ready to hold down the fort here."

Riku frowned. "You're sure they're up to it?"

"Definitely. Especially together."

The older teen considered the plan. It was reasonably good, and he didn't have any better ideas. "Alright then." He scanned the others. "That work for you guys?"

Kairi nodded. Mickey looked worried, but eventually agreed. "Alright. But when the ship gets here, hurry up. We need you guys."

The king boarded the ship, followed by Riku, and moments later the vessel lifted off. Sora and Kairi watched as their friends shrank to a tiny speck in the distance, then vanished.

"Tidus and Wakka are training today, right?"

Kairi nodded. "There's a big match coming up, so they're doing some one-on-one practice. I think Selphie went to watch."

"Okay. Let's go."

* * *

They swam back to the main island and stepped onto a beach near the school's outdoor pool, which doubled as a playing field for Tidus and Wakka's obsession: Blitzball. The game was essentially a combination of football and soccer, played completely underwater. It was fun, in Sora's opinion (after their return, he and Riku had joined their friends in a couple of matches), but it didn't fascinate him like it did Tidus. As for Wakka, his interest went beyond simple fascination. The boy practically lived for the sport.

"You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?"

Sora blinked at his friend. "About what?"

"About telling them. That's the sort of thing that takes more than five seconds to think about. You've been thinking about whether they can handle it for a while."

It surprised Sora at times how well Kairi could read him. He chuckled. "Alright, guilty."

"Is that what you wanted to say earlier?"

"Partly." Sora fixed his eyes on the horizon. Kairi didn't press him. Eventually, he continued. "When we built that raft, all we could ask ourselves was 'what's out there?'. We were so excited about what we might find beyond these islands." He sat down in the sand, Kairi settling next to him. "Now we know. We've seen so many worlds, and it's been incredible."

"But?" Kairi prompted, adding the implied word.

He sighed. "It wasn't like we thought it would be. Between the Heartless and Organization XIII, we've been fighting someone since the day we left. We've had to be protectors instead of explorers. I kinda wish it was the other way around."

Kairi suddenly understood. "You've been looking for a vacation."

Sora smiled, a little sadly. "No enemies, no evil plans. Just you, me, and Riku. We could leave things here to Tidus and the others, borrow a gummi ship from the king, check up on some of my off-world friends." His face grew wistful. "I've been so many places you haven't even seen yet. We might even find some new ones."

Kairi gazed into the distance, imagining the trip herself. Not a captive this time, travelling with some villain who was trying to use her as bait, or a key to ultimate power. Just traveling the worlds with her friends, enjoying fantastic sights and meeting strange new people. She smiled. "I'd like that."

They sat a while longer, watching the wispy clouds roll by. "Summer's a long way from over," Kairi said. "We've still got time for that trip."

"Yeah." Sora straightened, brushing off the sand. "But we've got a job to do first."

* * *

The scene Sora and Kairi walked up on was familiar: Tidus and Wakka were mid-game, alternately attempting to score or block the other's shot. Selphie was on the sidelines, acting as referee. But instead of looking bored as usual, she was chatting with a pale, raven-haired girl wearing dark clothes despite the summer heat. Or rather, Selphie was chatting _to_ the girl. Her friend was listening, but not quite as talkative.

Selphie was the first to spot them. "Hey, Sora! Kairi! You guys know Lulu, right?"

Kairi did; the girls had a few classes together. "Hi, Lulu. What're you doing here?"

"Wakka invited me. We've got some plans after this."

Sora raised an eyebrow. So Blitzball _wasn't_ Wakka's only interest.

"Hey Selphie, keep your eyes open! Wakka totally-" Tidus emerged at the edge of the pool and noticed the new arrivals. "Oh. Hi, guys. What's up?"

Sora brought his mind back to the task at hand. "You guys got a minute? There's something we've gotta tell you."

"It has to do with why we were gone so long," Kairi added.

Selphie's eyes widened, and Tidus waved Wakka over. Sora, Kairi and Riku had been deliberately vague about their disappearances; their islander friends had a lot of questions.

Sora briefly considered asking Lulu to leave, but decided against it. This could affect her, too. He launched into an account of his adventures, describing the various worlds he'd visited, the friends he'd made, the enemies he'd faced, and, most importantly, he told them about the Heartless.

When he finished, there was a full minute of silence. Lulu was the first to speak. "Wow. You guys lead rich fantasy lives."

Selphie was a little more believing. "You're a princess, Kairi?"

Kairi blushed. "A princess of _heart_. It's nothing special."

"'Nothing special'? You're kidding, right?"

"So why tell us all this now? Why not earlier?"

"Regular people aren't supposed to know about other worlds. It's too much interference. As for why now," Sora took a deep breath. "Disney Castle's in trouble. We're leaving to help, which means-"

"You need us to take care of things here." Wakka nodded. "No problem, man. We got your back."

There was a general chorus of agreement. Kairi smiled. They might not be as close to her as Sora and Riku, but she was glad to call these Islanders her friends.

Only Lulu remained skeptical. "You guys are buying this? You seriously believe that these Heartless things have been running around here for months without anyone other than these two-"

She was cut short when numerous Shadows sprang up on the far side of the pool. Two larger, rounded Heartless appeared behind those, and humanoid things with wings, claws and small propellers materialized above the rest.

Lulu stared. "Never mind. I believe you."

Sora and Kairi summoned their Keyblades, taking battle stances. Tidus and Selphie ran for their weapons, too, while Wakka took aim with his Blitzball. Lulu was unarmed, but tensed for battle anyway. Together, they charged into the crowd.

Tidus and Selphie carved their way through the Shadows, respectively wielding a stout wooden sword and a pair of oversized nunchaku. The Keyblade wielders did likewise, while Wakka kept his distance and knocked out the Air Soldiers with his ball.

Eventually, Tidus made his way to a Large Body. But to his surprise, his attacks bounced off an invisible barrier.

"You can't hit those from the front!" Sora shouted. "Either go for the head or get behind it-"

Lulu flung out her arm and shouted something Sora didn't quite hear. There was a crash of thunder, and a thick ribbon of lightning struck the oversized Heartless, destroying it. The shockwave was so great that it destroyed some nearby Shadows.

"Or do that," Sora amended. It surprised him to see someone from his home world using magic, and Lulu seemed like no amateur. Her next spell wiped out a patch of Shadows with an explosive fireball. A third froze the second Large Body solid. Sora winced at the mana cost, but Lulu didn't even look tired.

Between the six of them the Heartless were gone in short order. They stood a while, panting. But their expressions were of excitement; they'd had a taste of the action, and couldn't wait for more.

"Yeah!" Tidus tossed his sword into the air, catching it in his signature victory pose. "We were awesome!"

"Is it always like that?" Selphie asked. She was almost laughing despite a long scratch down her forearm. Kairi patched it up with a Cure spell, drawing an interested glance from Lulu.

"More or less," Sora confirmed. "That was a bigger group than we've gotten in a while, though."

"If dat's true, dere'll be no problem, man." He turned a wide grin on Lulu. "Especially wit you around! Where'd you learn dat?"

She flushed slightly, but still smiled. "I've done some experimenting. You'd be surprised what you can find in a few old books."

Sora believed her. He glanced up at the reddening sky. "Okay, our ride should be here soon. If you guys are okay here, we'll-"

He was interrupted by a nudge from Kairi, who looked shocked. She pointed at a tall figure standing by the path they'd taken from the beach. It was completely covered by a dark cloak. The hood was pulled over its face, but that hardly mattered.

The figure turned and glided away down the path. Sora followed at a run.

Selphie frowned. "That looks like one of those Organization XIII guys you mentioned."

Tidus looked puzzled, too. "I thought you said they were gone."

"They are." Kairi shook herself. That figure may have looked like one of the thirteen Nobodies that had caused so much suffering in their quest to become whole. But it couldn't be. There was only one member that hadn't been eliminated somehow, and _he_ had rejoined his counterpart: Sora's Nobody, Roxas. Something felt wrong to Kairi. Very wrong.

She chased after Sora, leaving the others behind. He had pursued the mysterious figure to the edge of the beach, but it didn't stop there. It simply glided out over the water, heading further away. Sora paused only briefly, taking his merman form again. He crashed through the waves between them, speeding toward the small island.

* * *

When Sora made it to the shore and took his human form again he was confronted by the mysterious figure. The black cloak had been discarded at its feet, and underneath was a slender young man wearing a white lab coat over a more casual blue t-shirt and jeans. His hair was a silvery blue, with long bangs that concealed much of his face.

"So you're the one who destroyed Xehanort." The youth looked bemused. "Not only once, but twice. Not to mention about half of the Organization. I was expecting someone a bit more impressive."

"What are you doing here, Zexion?" Sora wondered where he'd heard the name. It had simply jumped into his head.

The youth looked confused. "Zexion?" Then he laughed. "Of course! I'd forgotten our other halves had met. But you're wrong, Keyblade Master. Thanks to your _friend_," he said the word with a snarl, "my Nobody is gone."

Sora tried to make sense of the statement. He assumed "other halves" meant that Sora's Nobody, Roxas, had met the stranger's. And now he thought about it, the name _was_ familiar. Sora had never seen Zexion himself, but Riku had mentioned fighting an Organization member by that name in Castle Oblivion. But Nobodies were formed from the leftover bodies and souls of those who had lost their hearts. For this stranger to have a Nobody…

"You're a Heartless!" Sora exclaimed.

The stranger laughed again. "Very good! I am Ienzo, a Seeker of Darkness!"

The title came as a shock. The last person Sora knew who had called himself a "Seeker of Darkness" was the Heartless of Xehanort, one of the six apprentices under Ansem the Wise. Ienzo had been the youngest of the six, and was notorious for conceiving the underground laboratory where they'd continued the Heartless-based studies their master had forbidden; A subject which had turned all six of the apprentices into Heartless.

Sora had barely defeated Xehanort's Heartless before it reached Kingdom Hearts and destroyed all of the worlds, and then only with the help of Donald and Goofy. Who knew what _this_ one was capable of?

"If you're one of the Apprentices, that means you're after Kingdom Hearts, right?"

Ienzo clapped mockingly. "Very impressive. Yes, I do seek the ultimate power that Kingdom Hearts provides."

"Then you're out of luck. Kingdom Hearts destroyed Xehanort, so there's no way you'll-"

"Xehanort was a fool!" Ienzo snapped. His face was contorted with scorn. "He got so wrapped up in his philosophies that he never even considered he might be wrong." He barely controlled his anger. "But his failure did tell us one thing. Kingdom Hearts possesses a light that will evaporate any darkness. Our esteemed leader approached it as a Heartless, a being made up of darkness, so it destroyed him. If he'd still had a body to contain his inner darkness, He could easily have taken it. The rest of us won't be making the same mistake." He smirked. "And that, my friend, is where _you_ come in."

Sora blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Thanks to you and your friends, our original bodies have been destroyed. A great shame, but that just means we'll have to find new ones. Yours should do."

Sora's Kingdom Key materialized in his hand. "I don't think so. There's only room in here for one."

"I agree." Ienzo snapped his fingers. "Guardian!"

Bone-white, paper-thin tentacles erupted from the sand around Sora's feet. They wrapped around his wrists, his ankles, and lifted him into the air. As Sora struggled, he caught a glimpse of his attacker. The tentacles weren't just paper-thin: they really were some kind of very strong living paper. Sora was grappling with an enormous origami octopus.

Ienzo floated closer to his captive, gloating. "There really _is_ only room for one. Which means you'll have to go."

He extended his hand, and a sphere of darkness engulfed his prey. Sora screamed, feeling exactly as if his heart was being ripped from his chest. It took him a moment to realize the awful truth: It _was_.

He dimly registered Kairi coming up to the shore. He tried to cry out to her, tell her to run. It was no use. His world went black.

* * *

Kairi froze in shock as she watched the creature lower Sora's limp body onto the sand. She looked at the figure in the white coat and said "What did you do?"

He turned and regarded her. "Is that you, Princess? You've grown since you left our home world."

"What did you do to him?" This time she shouted the question.

The young man smiled, bemused. "That's obvious isn't it? I've simply removed his heart. And since he now has no need for this, someone really should use it before it disappears." He took a step toward Sora's body.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

The force in Kairi's voice struck almost like a physical blow. The stranger flinched, then narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't believe I need your permission, Princess. You're hardly worth the effort of fighting. Stay out of this." He continued on his path.

But Kairi would not be ignored. She aimed Flowering Strength at the stranger and shouted "FIRE!"

A ball of flame erupted from her Keyblade and set the young man's coat ablaze. He franticly beat out the flames, then turned a murderous glare in her direction just in time to see the chunk of ice she'd launched at him. He dodged, narrowly, but didn't see Kairi's weapon coming up behind the spell. She slashed once before retreating, leaving a nasty gash in her opponent's upper arm.

The stranger gasped, clutching at the wound. His face contorted in rage as he glared at Kairi. "So," he snarled, "it seems you've grown in more ways than one. You'll pay for that, Princess."

"Prove it." Kairi had seldom joined in the sparring matches her friends were so fond of, but in the last six months she'd trained hard to keep up with Sora and Riku. She'd been a quick study in both swordsmanship and magic, and proven faster than either of the other Keyblade masters. She wasn't sure she could beat this stranger, but there was no way she would let him touch her friend.

* * *

Sora dimly remembered the last time he'd lost his heart. The sensation had been one of falling, endlessly plunging into darkness, all the while slowly forgetting who he was.

This wasn't like that at all. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting under an endless sunset, looking down on Twilight Town from the clock tower.

"Great view, huh?"

Sora started, surprised that he wasn't alone. Sitting to his right was a boy his age with spiky blond hair, eating a light blue ice cream bar. Sora's Nobody counterpart, Roxas.

He passed Sora another of the ice creams. Sora accepted it, taking a couple of licks. "I remember Ienzo taking my heart. Shouldn't I be a Heartless by now?"

"That only happens if you fall into darkness. No idea why, but you ended up here instead."

"In Twilight Town?"

The blond shook his head. "Not exactly. This is your _memory_ of Twilight Town. I hang out here sometimes." He smiled. "Axel and I used to do this after missions. It was my favorite part of the day."

"Oh." They sat in silence for a moment, eating the ice cream bars. "You remembered Zexion, right? That's where I got his name."

Roxas nodded. "Don't forget I was in the Organization. I didn't know him that well, but we met." His face became serious. "From the looks of it, his Heartless is just as powerful as he was. Add in Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen and Lexaeus," He shook his head. "We're in serious trouble."

Sora grimaced. "You think?" He replayed the encounter in his head, and something at the end caught his attention. His eyes widened. "Oh no. Kairi's still out there with Ienzo!"

"Kairi knows how to take care of herself now," Roxas reminded him.

"So do I."

The Nobody frowned. "Good point."

Sora punched the ledge they were sitting on. "I've gotta get back out there."

"How? I'm worried, too, but your heart's been stolen. You're not exactly in fighting shape."

Sora slumped in defeat. "You're right." Without his heart, Sora basically didn't exist. All that was left was his body and soul…

His head jerked up, and he stared at his companion. "You're right. I can't do anything. But maybe _you_ can."

Roxas blinked. "What?"

"My heart's gone, but my body and soul are still on the beach with Kairi and Ienzo. Doesn't that mean you take over?"

The Nobody's eyes widened. Why hadn't he thought of that?

Sora stood, pacing the ledge. "If you get out there, you can help Kairi out. Then maybe the two of you can stop the Apprentices." He turned a pleading expression on his counterpart. "I know it's a lot to ask, but please…"

Roxas held up a hand to stop him. "Spare me. If I'm going out there, I'll probably end up doing all that anyway."

He stood and stuck out a fist. Sora pounded it, smiling. "Thanks."

"No problem." Roxas took a deep breath and started walking toward the stairs. "Schools out," he said to himself. "Looks like I'm back on vacation." He rounded the corner and vanished.

* * *

Kairi parried another swing from the stranger's sword. I seemed to be a flimsy creation, made entirely of folded paper, but the ring it produced when it struck the Keyblade proved otherwise.

He retreated, then lunged again. Kairi sidestepped, saw her chance, and lashed out at her opponent's unprotected back, but the stranger somehow extended the pommel of his weapon to block her attack.

"Enough of this," he snarled. "Guardian!"

The Paper monster obediently leapt from the sand, wrapping its limbs around Kairi and tightening its grip.

"You've delayed me long enough," the stranger said. "It's time to collect my prize." He turned toward the spot where his creature had left Sora's body, then froze. It wasn't there. He growled in frustration. "Where did it go?"

The stranger felt something coming and turned just in time to avoid a swing from Oathkeeper, but wasn't quick enough to dodge the follow-up attack. Oblivion's pommel slammed into his stomach, and he stumbled backward. When he looked up, he saw a blond-haired boy looking fiercely into his eyes, wielding a white Keyblade in his right hand and a black one in his left. The boy lowered himself into a fighting stance. "Looking for me, Ienzo?"

"Roxas?" the apprentice stammered. "Impossible! You're a part of Sora. He reabsorbed you."

"And you just took his heart all over again. Didn't really think this through, did you?" Roxas took a step closer.

Ienzo's eyes flashed franticly to Kairi. "Don't come any closer, unless you want your friend to-"

That was a mistake. Kairi had promised herself some time ago to never again let herself be used as a hostage. She yelled "Fire!" , and a sphere of flame swirled around her, reducing the monster to a smoldering heap. No matter how strong it is, Paper still burns.

Ienzo looked from one advancing figure to the other, deciding that retreat was the only option. "This isn't the last you've seen of me," he vowed. With those words, he opened a portal to the Corridors of Darkness and dove through it, snapping it shut behind him.

Kairi brushed the last of the Guardian's ashes off her skirt before turning to Roxas. "Thanks for the help."

"Thank Sora. He's the one who-"

Roxas realized his mistake about two seconds after he made it. It took a minute for Kairi to realize what must have happened for Roxas to be reborn, but when she did the grief drove her to her knees. She covered her mouth with one hand, and her eyes swelled with tears.

For some reason he didn't quite understand, seeing the girl so upset disturbed Roxas. He searched the beach for anything that might distract her long enough to keep her from crying.

He didn't see anything interesting at first. Then he saw a round, red shape bobbing amongst the trees. _That,_ he reasoned, _is the best distraction I'm likely to find_. He tried to point it out to Kairi. She barely responded. Roxas decided to give her a little time to recover, so he strode off on his own to investigate.

As it turned out, the red shape was the cap of a White Mushroom Heartless. Roxas didn't bother drawing his weapons; white mushrooms were harmless, preferring charades and magic shows to combat. Instead, he leaned against one of the palm trees and watched it.

After a while, he gave the creature a puzzled frown. He'd never have noticed if he hadn't been watching it so closely, but something was definitely wrong with the Mushroom's behavior.

He went back to Kairi, who'd calmed down since he'd left. "I think you should see this."

She followed him, but wasn't impressed with his find. "We get those things around here sometimes. They're-"

"I know what it is," Roxas interjected. "Look what it's _doing_."

Kairi frowned, not happy about being cut off, but did as he instructed. She soon realized what Roxas meant. Instead of playing the usual games favored by its kind, this Mushroom was looking behind every tree, under each bush. Once or twice it examined the underside of a fallen coconut.

"It's looking for something," Kairi said. Her voice was strangely distant. She stepped through the bushes they were hiding in and moved slowly towards the Heartless.

"What're you doing?" Roxas protested.

Kairi continued on her path. "The last time Sora lost his heart, a Heartless followed Donald, Goofy, and me. It didn't act like a regular Shadow, it just seemed…lost. Like it was trying to find something important. It turned out to be looking for me. And when I held it…"

Roxas suddenly understood; he was hearing the story of his own birth. "You think this might be Sora?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't know. But I have to try!" with that, she ran at the Heartless and flung her arms around it.

The Mushroom jerked in surprise, then became still. Light gathered around them, and the creature's body slowly evaporated into a dark mist that hovered around them, leaving only the crystalline Heart within. Then things took a strange turn. Kairi's light condensed around the Heart, forming the general shape of a human being. A little of the surrounding darkness entered the glowing form. The rest dispersed. There was a final, blinding flash, and when Roxas uncovered his eyes Kairi was embracing a strange boy with an angelic face and blond hair to match, a much lighter shade than Roxas'. He was wearing a long white robe much like the body of the White Mushroom, and looked to be about ten years old.

Kairi collapsed, and Roxas rushed forward to catch them both. He lowered the boy gently to the ground and leaned Kairi against the nearest palm.

Kairi opened her eyes a moment later. Roxas was quick to take notice. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just tired." She dragged herself upright, thankful for the tree's support. "What happened? Was it really him…" Her voice trailed off as she spotted the strange boy.

He stirred, and they both turned to watch as he blinked open his pale blue eyes. He sat up and took in his surroundings, his face incredulous. "Where am I?" he then turned to the strangers staring at him, "and who are you?"

Kairi shook off her exhaustion and stepped forward to help him up. She introduced herself and Roxas. "What's your name?"

"I don't know. I can't remember anything."

"You're sure?" She pressed. "Nothing from before you were a Heartless?"

The boy frowned and closed his eyes. "Blurry scenes. Emotions. A lot of darkness…" he shook his head. "That's all."

Roxas looked thoughtful. "Maybe it's because he's always been a Heartless."

Kairi shot him a puzzled look.

"Think about it," the Nobody continued. "Sora turned into a Shadow Heartless. A Pureblood. White Mushrooms are Emblem Heartless. They were created by Xehanort and the others, and that means the Hearts inside-"

"Never had a life of their own." Kairi's eyes widened. That would also account for why she was so tired. Instead of restoring a Heartless to human form, as she had with Sora, she'd had to create the boy's body and soul from scratch.

"Hearts…" The boy echoed the word quietly, then his head snapped up. "That's right! I remember looking for something called a Heart in a place that looked like this!"

The teens shot each other an odd look, then turned their gazes on the boy. "Do you remember anything else about that?" Roxas asked.

"Maybe," the boy shifted under their attention. "I don't really know how to say it."

"Could you try?" Kairi urged him. "Please."

He met her gaze for a moment. Her expression was pleading. This was really important to her. He closed his eyes and concentrated. "I was… confused," he said. "It was like I could feel the Hearts around me, but they were always sort of… muffled until something got to them. Something kinda like me, but meaner. Does that make sense?"

"Perfectly," Roxas assured him. "Go on."

"Anyway, this one wasn't muffled. I felt it a lot more…clearly, I guess. But it didn't disappear like they always do when they're that clear. It was floating around on its own, but I couldn't find it. And I needed it. It was so bright, so warm…"

His eyes snapped open, and he stared at Kairi in shock. "I can feel yours, too! I don't need it, but it's there!"

Kairi blinked. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

Roxas nudged her, and she turned to face him. "I spoke with Sora before I took over," he told her. "I don't know why, but he didn't fall into darkness. What if that Heart this guy was looking for was Sora's?"

Kairi's eyes widened, and she felt a glimmer of hope. She spun back to the former Heartless. "Can you still feel that Heart nearby?"

The boy frowned, his face set in concentration. "I think so. It feels like its…" he pointed directly above them. "Up there!"

They all looked up, and sure enough, there was a bright pink light against the orange and red of the sunset. It was fading into the distance, growing smaller and smaller until it vanished completely.

Roxas sighed. "Looks like it's heading for another world. How'll we get to it now?"

As if on cue, another light appeared in the western sky. A reddish shape flew out of it, and moments later the gummi ship landed on the beach.

Kairi and Roxas shared another look.

"We don't know which world it's heading for," the Nobody pointed out. "And we've still got the Apprentices to deal with."

"There's no chance of us finding anything standing around here."

Roxas nodded. "You're right." He turned to their new companion. "All right. If you're coming with us, you'll need a name."

The boy tore his gaze from the strange ship and gave the teen a confused look. "You're taking me with you?"

"You're the only one who can find Sora's heart if we get close," Roxas pointed out. "Besides, we can't just leave you here."

The boy stared down at his feet. Roxas was right. He had nowhere else to go.

Kairi considered him. "How about Paxton? I'm pretty sure that means peaceful, and you were pretty non-violent as a Heartless."

The boy thought a bit, then nodded. The name felt right to him.

Roxas laughed. "That was quick. Okay, Pax." He started toward the ship "Let's go."

* * *

The cockpit popped open as they approached the red vessel, and Chip appeared. "Okay guys, let's get moving. Dale's still back at the castle, and it's starting to get-" he paused mid-squeak, taking in the two strangers. "Who're these guys, Kairi? And where's Sora?"

"Change of plans, Chip," the princess informed him. "We've got a Heart to find."


	2. Cherry Tree Lane

_As I wrote this, Julie Andrews started sounding a lot like Polgara. I never planned it that way, but there it is. It's kind of weird how things evolve like that._

_Anyway, read and enjoy._

Cherry Tree Lane

"Anything?" Kairi asked hopefully.

After several hours of uneventful gummi ship travel the party had finally reached their first new world. Pax had insisted on exploring with his new friends on the grounds that he'd have to be close to Sora's heart in order to detect it. Chip and Dale kept some spare clothes on each gummi ship (not all of it in their sizes), so he'd traded his robe for a less conspicuous white t-shirt, jean shorts, tennis shoes and light blue vest.

He shook his head. "There's too many people here. I'm sensing all their Hearts at once. Sora's might be here somewhere, but unless we get close I can't pick it out over all the rest."

"Well, I can think of worse places to look," Roxas remarked. The world they'd landed on was enjoying a mild spring day, and they were standing in a park full of people out to enjoy it.

Kairi sighed, but found it difficult to be depressed. The pleasant weather was getting to her, too. "Let's look around a while longer, just in case."

The others followed her lead, observing the locals as they went. They were all dressed a slightly old-fashioned style, and some of the ladies carried lacy parasols. To their left, a small crowd had gathered to watch a one-man band perform. The place looked like it belonged in a painting.

Pax watched as a pair of children flew a kite in front of them, entranced by the red paper dancing in the wind. Kairi noticed his expression and smiled to herself. The joy on his face was just so… innocent. Now that she thought about it, the word pretty much summed up Pax's personality. Everything was so new to him.

As she watched, his fascination gave way to concern. "Uh-oh."

Roxas nudged the princess and pointed to the children. They were being surrounded by a type of Heartless she had never seen before: humanoids wearing a type of police uniform with tall, rounded helmets, and truncheons in their right hands.

"Stay back, Pax." Kairi instructed. She didn't think the boy would be much use in a fight. She and Roxas summoned their Keyblades and hacked their way through to the children, which the creatures seemed to be targeting. The new Heartless were bold, but also clumsy. The Keyblade wielders easily avoided their attacks.

Kairi brought her weapon down on the helmet of one, and it dissolved into darkness. But before she could recover for the next attack, a shadow loomed up behind her, truncheon poised to strike.

A pool of shadow appeared next to the Heartless. Pax popped out of it and landed a spinning kick in the thing's midsection, sending it flying.

"Constables know how to work together," he told the gaping princess. "Watch your back." With that, Pax charged at another clump of the clumsy Heartless. His hands morphed into spiked maces, and he sent them flying in all directions.

The Constables, as Pax called them, didn't last long after that. When they were gone, Kairi and Roxas confronted their friend.

"Where'd that mace thing come from?" Roxas demanded. "I've only seen Morning Stars do that."

"And that teleport move was right out of the Neoshadow playbook." Kairi thought a moment before adding, "While we're at it, how'd you know so much about those Heartless?"

Pax frowned. "It just sort of came to me." He knitted his brows in thought. "But I think I remember watching a lot of different Heartless fighting somewhere. Maybe I picked up a few things."

It was a little unnerving for Kairi, seeing a kid handling the powers of darkness so easily. She was about to say as much, but someone tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me, Miss."

She turned around. It was the little boy and his older sister, the ones the Heartless had targeted. "Thank you for saving us, Miss."

Kairi smiled. "No problem. It's kind of our job." She banished Flowering Strength, causing the children to stare.

"Is this the first time you've been attacked?" Roxas asked.

The girl shook her head. "We've seen them before, but our nanny's always kept them away." Realization struck, and her eyes darted around the park. "Oh, no. We've lost her!"

Her brother looked concerned too, but was quick to form a plan. "We'll go home. She's sure to find us there"

The girl looked dubious. "She shall be very cross with us. And what if the creatures come back?"

They lapsed into silence.

Kairi was quick to fill it. "We'll walk you home."

Roxas frowned. "We will?"

"Why not? We're still not sure if Sora's here, so there's no reason for us to stick around. And I'm not letting the Heartless pick off a couple of kids."

Pax didn't wait for the Nobody's response. "I'm Pax! This is Roxas and Kairi. Can you show me that thing you were flying?"

The boy smiled, sticking out his chin and proudly displaying his kite. "Of course! My name's Michael, by the way. Michael Banks."

The girl rolled her eyes at her brother's swollen ego. She offered her hand to Kairi. "I'm Jane. Thank you for helping us."

Kairi shook the hand. "Glad to help. Lead on."

Roxas sighed. It seemed he'd been overruled.

* * *

The group reached the Banks residence without issue, and the children headed up the front stairs. Roxas whistled. "Nice place."

"Father's a banker," Jane explained. She paused at the door. "Are you sure you won't stay? I'm sure you'd be welcome."

Kairi shook her head. "We're looking for someone, but thanks for offering."

Pax looked sad to say goodbye, particularly since his new friends had yet to explain the mysteries of kite flying. Suddenly, his expression became grave. He tugged at Kairi's arm. "They're coming."

Kairi tensed, remembering how Pax had predicted the previous wave of Heartless. "Jane, Michael, I think you should get inside."

The children obeyed without question, and the remaining group turned to face the Heartless gathering around the bottom steps. There were several more of the Constables, but the bulk of the group consisted of Shadows. Pax led the charge, diving into the first wave with his maces swinging. She and Roxas followed, Keyblades slashing.

They wiped out scores of the Heartless, but more kept coming. Kairi felt herself wearing down, and Roxas didn't seem to be in much better condition. At this rate, they'd be overcome before much longer.

"Now that's quite enough of that," a voice said.

There was a tremendous blast of wind, and Kairi found it hard to stay on her feet. Roxas, who was closest to the stairs, hooked Oathkeeper's tines through the railing. He extended his other weapon to Kairi, who gratefully linked it with hers and reached out to grab Pax's hand. They hung on for dear life as, all around them, the Heartless were swept away and thrown skyward by the massive gale.

The wind subsided as soon as they were gone, and the party got their feet back on solid ground. They turned to face a tall woman wearing a full-length black coat, with her hair neatly tucked beneath a matching hat. She was carrying an umbrella despite the fine weather, the handle of which was carved in the shape of a green parrot.

"Oh, dear. I hadn't realized you were all in the middle of that. Are you quite alright?"

Kairi pulled a stray leaf out of her hair. "I think so." She looked up at the woman's face. It was very pretty, with rosy cheeks and perfect white teeth. "That wind really saved us. Was that you?"

The woman brushed off the compliment. "That was quite accidental. I could hardly let those Heartless-" Her eyes fastened on to the Keyblade in Kairi's hand, and she gave the girl a closer look. "You're Princess Kairi, aren't you?" She studied the rest of the party, eventually taking in Roxas's dual weapons. "And by those Keyblades, I'd guess that you're Roxas. Strange. I was under the impression that you no longer existed."

The Nobody's jaw dropped. "How did you-"

"Mary Poppins!" The door behind him swung open and the Banks children ran out to greet the strange woman.

She frowned. "Jane, Michael, it was very poor behavior to run off without me, and dangerous besides."

"We couldn't find you anywhere, and those creatures attacked us!" Michael protested.

Jane pointed to the others. "They saved us, and they made sure we got home safely."

"Did they?" the nanny raised an eyebrow. "I suppose we should thank them for that." She addressed the party. "I think it would be best if you came inside with us. It seems we have a few things to discuss."

* * *

Upstairs, in a room adjacent to the nursery, Mary Poppins poured two steaming cups of tea for Kairi and Roxas. Pax had opted to stay in the nursery with the Banks children, who were teaching him how to build a proper kite.

"Now then," she said, pouring a cup for herself, "I suppose you two have a few questions for me."

Roxas nodded. "Who are you? How did you know us?"

"Straight to the point, then." The nanny stirred a splash of milk into her tea. "As you may have guessed from that rather violent display outside, I am a sorceress. In fact I'm considered quite powerful."

"And you're working as a nanny?" Kairi took a sip of her tea, deciding it could use a bit more sugar.

"I much prefer a more personal line of work."

"That still doesn't explain where we come in," Roxas pointed out.

The nanny gave Roxas a hard stare. "You're a very direct young man, aren't you?"

The Nobody shrugged. "I don't like unanswered questions."

They stared at each other for a moment before the nanny relaxed. "Very well, then. I have an old friend named Merlin who lives in another world. We've kept in touch for years, and he's been involved in quite a few of your counterpart's adventures. Now if you'd be so kind, I should like to know what you two are doing here."

Mary Poppins listened attentively while Kairi detailed the recent troubles of Disney Castle, Ienzo's attempt to steal Sora's body, and Pax's transformation from Heartless to human, with Roxas filling in certain details he'd seen through Sora's eyes while Kairi wasn't around.

The nanny looked concerned. "Oh dear. It sounds as if things are rather dangerous."

"No kidding," Roxas commented.

The nanny gave him a mildly annoyed look before continuing. "With the Keyblade Master's Heart missing and the castle under siege," she shook her head. "It seems the three of you are the only ones free to oppose Ansem's apprentices."

"We need all the help we can get," Kairi agreed.

"I suppose you do." The nanny stood and glanced at a mirror hanging on the wall opposite her. "If you two will excuse me for a bit." She strode across the room and stood in front of the glass. To her guests' surprise, her reflection began singing in an impressively high register. Mary Poppins wasn't amused. "If you're quite finished, there's a message I need delivered."

"There's something I've been wondering about," Roxas said while the sorceress continued her strange dialogue.

"What's that?"

"That paper thing back on the islands. When your spell hit it, it burned instead of dissolving. I don't think it was really a Heartless."

"Oh yeah." Kairi frowned. "Ienzo called it a Guardian, right? I'm pretty sure I've heard of something like that before."

"You mean that Heartless that followed Xehanort around?" Roxas remembered the one time that Riku had used it against him. He shuddered.

"It followed him around, huh?" Kairi gave it a bit more thought. "What if it _wasn't_ a Heartless?"

"Sure looked like one to me."

"But what if it wasn't? What if it was a part of Xehanort, something he created to do his fighting for him? Ienzo's a pretty similar type of Heartless, but his powers seemed a little different. He might've done the same thing and gotten something that suited him instead."

Roxas blinked. "You might be on to something." _And if she's right_, he thought, _we can expect the same thing from the other apprentices. Note to self: watch your back around them._

Mary Poppins returned to the table a moment later. "That went rather well. I don't know how long were planning to remain on this world, but I must insist that you stay at least until tomorrow. I've arranged a meeting to get you a bit of help."

Kairi blinked. "That was quick. Where's the meeting?"

"In a special place where we won't be disturbed by the Heartless. Or most humans, for that matter. Otherwise our guests might draw some strange glances. You'll need my help to get there, of course. Fortunately, tomorrow happens to be my day off."

"What about Jane and Michael?" Kairi reminded her.

The nanny looked thoughtful. "I've thought for some time that the children could use an outing with their father. I shall see if I can arrange it tomorrow."

"And if the Heartless show up?" Roxas asked.

"I'm sure I can arrange some protection. Satisfied?"

The teens looked at each other, shrugged, and shook their heads in unison.

"Very well then. I shall expect you at two-o-clock tomorrow evening."

* * *

When they met again the next day, Mary Poppins led them to the sidewalk outside of the park they'd landed in. There they found a man busily drawing on the pavement with colored chalk. Some of the scenes he'd finished were very elaborate.

Mary Poppins took a moment to examine his work. "They look quite nice today, Bert."

The man grinned up at them, and Kairi wondered where she'd seen him before. "'Ello, Mary! That's right nice've you." He took in the rest of the group. "And who're these three? Friends of yours?"

"Quite right. In fact I'm taking them to meet a few other friends. Do you still have your drawings from the other day?"

"Should be right over there." Bert pointed to a spot closer to the park's entrance.

Kairi finally recognized the man. "Weren't you that one-man band yesterday?"

"Right you are, miss." Bert stood, dusted off his hands, and checked the sun's position. "In fact I'd best be off for me next job. Plenty o' chimneys need sweepin'." He packed his chalks, picked up an assortment of brushes, put on his hat and started down the street.

"One moment, Bert," the nanny called. "Jane and Michael are on an outing with their father. Can you watch them for me? Just to make sure they stay safe."

"For you, Mary Poppins? I s'pose I could keep an eye on 'em."

"Thank you, Bert."

Bert tossed one last smile over his shoulder and continued on his way.

The nanny nodded, then examined the drawings Bert had pointed out. She stopped in front of a rolling countryside with a single yellow road winding through the center. "Right, then. Everyone join hands, spit-spot."

The party glanced at each other, shrugged, and did as she asked. "Now on the count of three I want you all to jump into the drawing."

Roxas looked at the woman like she was insane. "There's no way that'll work."

She returned the look coolly. "You can let me worry about that, thank you. Everyone ready? One, two, three."

They jumped, and Kairi had the sensation of becoming very small, very quickly. Her vision became a swirl of color…

And settled into a life-sized version of the drawing they'd jumped into, complete with a small farm, a carousel, and an island in the middle of a clear blue lake.

Kairi and Roxas were stunned by the change, but Pax seemed to take it in stride. He pointed to the carousel. "What's that? It looks fun!"

Mary Poppins smiled down at him. "Our friends are mainly here to see the princess. If you and Roxas would rather-"

"Yay!" he grabbed his Nobody friend's arm and dragged him off before anyone could protest.

Kairi watched them go, then turned to the nanny. "We should probably get going."

* * *

Kairi was fairly sure Bert's drawing hadn't included a small café waited on by a flock of penguins. But there it was, complete with small tables set under a tree covered in small pink flowers.

Mary Poppins strode over to a table where three shorter women dressed in colorful gowns and tall pointed hats were already seated. The one dressed in blue was shorter than the others, with dark hair and a more impatient expression. The others looked older: one in green with a kind smile, one wearing red and seeming a bit more serious than the others. All three had small, semitransparent wings on their backs.

"Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather," the nanny greeted them. "How lovely to see you all again."

"It has been a long time," the green fairy, Fauna, agreed. "How are you, dear? Is the new family treating you well?"

"I'd like to see them do any less," Merryweather said with a mischievous smile.

Flora was the first to notice Kairi. "And this must be the princess." She studied the girl's outfit approvingly. "My, such good taste. That color suits you."

"She'd look much better in blue." Merryweather shot the fairy a challenging glare.

Flora returned the look in kind. "No, dear. Pink is _definitely_ the way to go."

They argued back and forth while the penguins brought them tea and an assortment of small cakes. "Should we stop them?" Kairi asked.

"That's nearly impossible, dear." Fauna sighed, taking a plate. "Once they get started, they can go at it for hours."

It wasn't much longer before magic entered the discussion. Merryweather produced a slim wand from one sleeve and hit Kairi with a glittering burst of magic. Kairi jumped to her feet and looked down at herself. Her dress had been turned a bright shade of blue.

"Oh no you don't!" Flora pulled out a similar wand and returned the dress to its original pink.

Merryweather scowled and turned it blue again. Flora changed it back. Kairi's dress flashed back and forth like a strobe light, and the girl began to feel a little dizzy. "Um… are we really here to discuss my fashion choices?"

"Yes, dear." The fairies put their argument on hold while Flora explained. "It's the best way we can help you. Our specialty is making magical clothes." She frowned at the dress. "Now I think of it, a different style might just suit you better." Her next spell had Kairi wearing a frilly pink ball gown.

Merryweather's frown deepened. "No, no. Evening dress would be _much_ better." She waved her wand, and the princess wore a sleeveless blue dress with a full-length skirt and white gloves that stretched to her upper arms.

"I've always wanted to try something more exotic!" Fauna took out her wand, waved it, and dressed Kairi in a green kimono. The others voiced their approval of the style, then prepared to adjust the color again.

"Enough!" the princess finally shouted. The fairies flinched, and she continued in a milder tone. "I'm going to be doing a lot of fighting, and none of these are practical. Besides, I _like_ my clothes. Can't you add the magic _without_ changing the style?"

"It's best to do as she says, dears," Mary Poppins added. Her tone permitted no argument.

The fairies looked at each other, nodded, and waved their wands together. The spells converged on Kairi, and she found herself back in her usual outfit. But this time there was a slight tingle against her skin, as if the clothes were charged with some invisible force.

"Now listen carefully, dear," Flora instructed. "You may have seen Sora using some unusual abilities since he started wearing the clothes we gave him. Becoming faster, or stronger, or gaining more magical power."

Kairi thought back to the time just before Xemnas was defeated, in the Castle that Never Was. There had been a few times where Sora's clothes had changed color, and his fighting style along with them. She nodded, prompting the fairy to continue.

"Your clothes are similar, but there is a key difference. Sora's power comes from his connection to his friends. As a Princess of Heart, linked to the final Keyhole, your clothes allow you to tap into the Hearts of _worlds_. Every time you visit a new one, you'll gain a new form. The transformations may take some time to master, but I'm sure they'll be of some help."

"The clothes will also restore your mana faster," Merryweather added.

Kairi smiled. The fairies' gift more than made up for their quarreling. "Thank you," she said, and meant it.

They smiled, pleased to see their work so appreciated. "Always glad to help a princess in need," Fauna said.

That seemed to remind Flora of something. "Oh my. We should get back to Aurora soon." She turned an apologetic look on Mary Poppins. "I'm sorry we can't stay longer, but-"

The nanny held up a hand to stop her. "That's quite all right, Flora. I of all people know what it's like to be responsible for someone. But we must see each other again soon."

They said their goodbyes, and the fairies vanished in three separate fountains of colorful sparks.

* * *

When they left the island and stepped onto the opposite bank, Pax was running to greet them. Roxas followed at a slower pace.

"You look excited," Kairi observed.

The boy beamed. "We got into a horse race, and Roxas won!"

Kairi gave him a quizzical look.

"Pax thought it was boring that the carousel horses only went in a circle." Roxas still looked a little bewildered. "The operator fixed that. Things just kind of happened after that." He held up his prize in supplication, a pendant with the image of a blue ribbon.

Mary Poppins studied the prize. "A summon charm, unless I'm much mistaken. They're quite useful."

"Really?" Kairi leaned in for a closer look. "What's it do?"

"It's used to call for help, though I'm sure I don't know what will answer. The summons is exhausting, and the help it brings can only last for a short time, but practice should make it easier."

Roxas nodded, slipping the charm safely into his pocket. "I'll keep that in mind."

Kairi turned to the nanny. "Can you get us back now? Your world's nice, but I think it's time we moved on."

Mary nodded. "Very well then." She closed her eyes momentarily, gathered power at the tip of her umbrella, raised it above her head and released the spell in a flash of light and color.

* * *

When their vision cleared, they were back outside the park and the light was beginning to fade. The party began to say their goodbyes, but stopped when they saw Bert run around the corner toward them.

The man took a moment to catch his breath, and Mary Poppins looked concerned. "Goodness, Bert, whatever is the matter?"

"Heartless," he panted. Between breathes, he detailed how Michael had caused some kind of stir at the bank. The children had run off, and Bert lost them in the alleyways. When he caught up, he saw that the Heartless had already grabbed them and were on their way. "They 'eaded… for the rooftops," he finished.

The nanny's expression became grave. "The Heartless wouldn't do this on their own."

Roxas nodded his agreement. "Someone's after Jane and Michael. The question is, who? And why?"

Kairi shook her head. "The bigger question is how we get them back."

"I agree. You children see if you can find them on foot." With that, Mary Poppins unfurled her umbrella, raised it above her head, and floated upward until she was above the nearest buildings.

Pax turned to Bert. "Are there a lot of people on the roofs?"

Bert considered. "Only us sweeps, but we know to clear out when them Heartless blokes show up. Why?"

The boy shot a determined look at his friends. "If there's no one else around, I think I can track them down."

Roxas pulled out his Keyblades in answer. "Then what are we still doing here?"

* * *

If they hadn't been in a hurry, the party might have stopped to marvel at how different the city looked from up there. The rooftops were almost like a completely different world, filled with smoke and twilight and dizzying heights.

Instead, Pax closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, then slowly turned and pointed to their left. "That way."

"You're sure?" Kairi asked.

The boy nodded. "Heartless are pretty easy to find if they're not warping. There's a ton of them over there, and they're not moving. It's like they're guarding something."

"Is it them?"

He shrugged. "Probably. I can't tell."

Roxas frowned. "Heartless don't act like that on their own. It sounds like someone's setting a trap."

"One way to find out." Kairi took a running start and jumped the gap to the next roof.

They worked their way across the rooftops until they found what they were looking for. Jane and Michael were standing in the middle of a ring of Constable Heartless, with more of a different type patrolling the roofs around them. The new ones were dressed in clothes much like Bert's: dark jackets, matching pants, and small hats, but with the Heartless emblem embroidered on top. They carried long poles topped with brushes.

"Soot Sweepers," Pax informed the others. "They're good with those poles, and pretty quick, too. Watch out."

Kairi briefly wondered just how Pax knew so much about the Heartless before the first Soot Sweeper spotted them. It leapt easily onto their rooftop, danced behind Roxas, and swept its pole at his legs. Roxas caught the blow with Oathkeeper and struck with Oblivion. The Heartless tumbled off the roof, down to the street below.

Others soon followed. Kairi dodged a jab from the unbristled end of one pole, ducked a swing from another, then leapt back and yelled "Blizzard!", catching both attackers in a spray of ice. Pax's maces were heavy weapons; using them might overbalance him, and it was a long way down. So he took a different tactic, cupping his hands around his mouth and blowing fiery bubbles. Every time one collided with a Heartless there was a small but forceful explosion.

_We're doing great so far_, Kairi thought, _but we've got to get Jane and Michael_. She caught her friends' attention and jerked her head at the next roof over. They got the message. The fighting continued while the party worked their way towards the other rooftop. As soon as they all made it to the edge, Kairi shouted "Now!" They made the jump. As soon as she landed, Kairi whirled on the Heartless they'd left behind and yelled "Thunder!"

The Soot Sweepers were fast, but they couldn't outrun Kairi's spell. Lightning rained down on the rooftop, obliterating each in turn.

Kairi leaned on her Keyblade for a moment as the cost of the spell hit her. The spell had exhausted her mana, but she could already feel her new clothes restoring it. Pax didn't wait for her. He whirled on the Constables surrounding Jane and Michael, blowing more bubble mines to try and break their ranks.

"Guardians!"

A cloud of icy blue particles whirled into existence and caught the explosives before they could hit the Heartless. They detonated, destroying the cloud but leaving the Constables untouched.

The party turned in the direction of the shout to see a man in a white lab coat much like Ienzo's, but wearing a more serious shirt, tie and khaki pants underneath. He had an angular face, green eyes, and long, fair hair.

Roxas blinked. "Vexen?"

"That's Even, boy." The man's sneer trickled into his voice. "I suppose that means you're Roxas." He glanced over the other members. "You're Princess Kairi, obviously. And you…" he frowned for a moment before studying Pax more closely. "I don't know who _you_ are, actually, but you seem to have some interesting skills. Is the Crimson Jazz the only Heartless you can imitate?" Pax declined to comment. Even sighed. "Oh, well. I suppose that's a mystery for another day."

"Let our friends go," Kairi demanded.

Even laughed, a sound full of contempt. "I think not, Princess. I'm using them to set a little trap."

Roxas frowned. "But we're already here."

Even stared for a second, then his laughter doubled in volume. "The trap's not for you, fool! I was after these two long before you two left your little Island." The laughter died down to a chuckle, and the apprentice's face stretched into a vicious grin. "I'm after a much bigger prize. Someone with more power than any of you."

_Someone powerful… using Jane and Michael as bait…_ Kairi was the first to put it together. "You're after Mary Poppins."

Even's grin widened. "A sorceress of her level must have both a strong Heart and a strong will. That, of course, means a strong Nobody, which I think would make a perfect vessel for me."

Roxas cleared his throat uncomfortably. Kairi stared. Pax was the only one to voice what they were all thinking. "But wouldn't that make you a girl?"

The grin vanished, and a vein throbbed in Even's forehead. "I've been bodiless for more than fifteen years now. I'm hardly in the mood to be picky!" he took a second to compose himself. "Anyway, my plan's nearly complete. All I have to do now is wait."

"While we sit here quietly and watch?" Kairi pointed Flowering Strength at the apprentice's chest. The blade's tip glowed red with a prepared fire spell. "I don't think so."

Even smirked. "Careful, Princess. You wouldn't want your friends to get hurt."

The ring of Constables was hit by a miniature tornado that sent them sailing off the rooftop. Mary Poppins landed neatly in the middle, collapsing her umbrella as the winds dispersed and the Banks children ran to her side.

"I don't enjoy fighting, Even. In fact, I highly discourage it. But if I must, I must." She leveled her umbrella at the apprentice.

Even's face darkened, and more blue particles began to dance around him. He crouched, readying himself to strike.

Kairi cleared her throat, and the apprentice threw a glance in the party's direction. The princess's fire spell was still ready to launch, and the other two looked just as ready for action. Even cursed his luck. He couldn't take them all on at once.

He gave the party a murderous glare. "You've cost me a powerful host tonight. I won't forget that." The glare gave way to another smirk. "Neither will my friend. Come forth, Smoke Phantom!"

The nearest chimney erupted into a thick plume of black smoke. An arm emerged, clutching a wickedly curved scythe, and was followed by a tall humanoid form, completely black except for a pair of glowing yellow eyes. The Heartless's only garment was a long grey cloak, sporting the trademark emblem on its back.

Even was still smirking as he vanished into the Corridors of Darkness.

Roxas looked to Pax. "Anything we should know about this thing?"

The boy shook his head. "I don't think I've ever seen this one."

"That probably means trouble." Kairi turned her head to face Mary Poppins. "Get Jane and Michael to safety. We'll take care of things here." The nanny nodded and traced a circle around herself with her umbrella. A platform made out of fog formed beneath her feet and carried her away with her charges.

Once they were gone, Roxas charged the Smoke Phantom. His blades passed straight through the Heartless as if it were made of smoke, doing nothing more than irritate it. It knocked him aside with the butt of its scythe, took one easy leap, and landed in front of Pax. The scythe swung down…

And Pax caught it, pinning it to the roof with his once again mace-like hands. While the Heartless struggled to free its weapon, Kairi loosed her fire spell. It struck, and this time there was a ghostly shriek of pain.

"It's vulnerable to magic!" Kairi yelled before launching another fireball. The heartless ducked and twisted the scythe out of Pax's grip.

Pax recovered and spat out more bubbles. Kairi continued launching her fire spells, and Roxas summoned three strange constructs that started firing beams of light.

Occasionally, they landed a hit. But by this time the Heartless was ready for them. It easily dodged their shots, reverting to smoke and flowing between the attacks when there was no room to dodge. Its scythe flashed towards Pax, who rolled with the blow but still ended up with a cut on his arm. The Smoke Phantom continued the motion, swinging the scythe all the way around to strike at Roxas. The Nobody crossed his weapons before himself and caught the blade, but was pushed backwards until he was nearly over the edge. He gritted his teeth and summoned another of his constructs, firing a beam that caught the Phantom in the stomach.

_This isn't going our way_, Kairi thought. They weren't doing enough damage, and she'd almost run out of mana again. _There has to be something we haven't tried yet_. Her eyes widened. There was one thing. Of course, she had no idea what would happen. _But desperate times…_

She closed her eyes as the battle raged around her and reached out through her Heart. Sure enough, she found what she was looking for: a massive presence that reminded her of sunlit spring afternoons, of cool, pleasant breezes and cherry trees in full bloom. She drew in power from the presence, became one with those feelings. _Here goes nothing._

The fight came to a halt as a dome of light formed around Kairi, hardened, and abruptly shattered. Her clothes remained basically the same, but the color had lightened to the pale pink of cherry blossoms. She was also wearing a cap, similar to Bert's but in a deep shade of pink.

Roxas stared. "Is that a drive form?"

Kairi nodded, adding the name that came to her with the form. "It's called Chalk Artist. Now let's finish this." She pointed her Keyblade at the Smoke Phantom in challenge…

And froze. Flowering Strength seemed to have changed with its wielder. It had turned upside-down so that she was holding it just above the tines, which had shrunken. The hilt and handle had shrunken until they were mostly decoration. The whole weapon had lengthened and grown slimmer to the point where it was more rod than sword. And the chain had retracted, so that the rod was topped with an unusually large Paopu fruit-shaped keychain. Kairi stared at it in horror. _I can't fight with this!_

The Phantom couldn't care less. It charged, scythe drawn back to swing. Kairi didn't have time to think; her arm moved automatically, using the rod to sketch a glittering outline in the air before her.

The Heartless never reached her. Its charge ran it straight into a brick wall that hadn't been there a minute ago.

Kairi blinked at the wall, then her eyes traveled back to the weapon. The keychain hadn't just grown larger. It had transformed into chalk. Magical chalk, to judge by the wall she'd just created.

The Phantom recovered and started circling the princess, keeping its distance. Kairi decided to try a little experiment. She sketched several bird-shaped outlines in the air, and they sprang to life one by one; sparrows that shimmered in a way that told her there was at least a little magic in them. They looked at Kairi as if awaiting instruction, so she nodded at the Smoke Phantom.

The birds whirled around the Heartless, darting in to attack every few seconds and then pulling out with bits of its cloak in their beaks. Pax and Roxas exchanged a glance, nodded, and resumed their barrage of mines and lasers while their opponent uselessly swatted at the magical sparrows.

The Smoke Phantom made a desperate move: it raised the scythe above its head and twirled it in a circle, releasing a thick cloud of smoke from the blade that covered the entire rooftop. Kairi couldn't even see an inch in front of her, but the Phantom had no problem finding her. She barely sensed his attacks in time to get her rod in the way, and even then several jabs from the scythe's unbladed end got through. Finally, the Heartless swept her legs out from under her. She landed on her back and tried to brace herself for the next attack.

It was at that moment that Pax decided the smokescreen had to go. He jumped, twisted in midair, and created a cyclone Emerald Blues style. The winds he summoned banished the smog and pulled the Smoke Phantom high into the air.

Kairi herself pointed her rod at the airborne Heartless and shouted "Fire!". Instead of launching the fireball she'd intended, the spell surprised her by turning her sparrows into miniature firebirds. They flew at the Heartless from all directions, moving faster than ever before in a deadly, blazing dance. Each pass took away another, larger piece of the Smoke Phantom until, at last, there was nothing left.

Kairi got to her feet, took a deep breath, and released it along with the power she'd pulled from the Heart of Cherry Tree Lane. Her clothes and weapon resumed their normal appearance, and her drawings faded from existence.

The others gathered around her, and she spent the last of her mana on a wide-range cure spell to restore them all. After their various wounds had been healed, Roxas regarded the princess with curiosity. "Since when could you use drive forms?"

"Since this afternoon." Kairi briefly described the meeting with the fairies, and the source of her newfound powers. "I didn't expect to change _that_ much, though."

"It makes sense. A world's heart is different from a person's. They all have a different kind of power."

The teens stared. Pax gave them a puzzled look in return. "What?"

Roxas shook his head. "In any case, those new clothes really came through. We'd be in real trouble if you hadn't used them back there."

Kairi nodded, looking up at the sky as sunset gave way to night and the stars began appearing. There was no telling what she'd become if she transformed on the next world they visited. But if it each new world gave her a new form, each different, but just as strong as the last…

It would take some getting used to, but harnessing that power could be well worth it.

* * *

The following day was bittersweet for the Banks children. On the one hand, whatever had happened at the bank brought Mr. Banks closer to his children than ever. He was actually taking the day off, just to go outside and fly a kite with them.

On the other hand, Mary Poppins was leaving.

Kairi and Roxas met her outside as she left the Banks house for the last time. "You're sure about this?" Kairi asked.

"Quite . Jane and Michael have their mother and father to care for them now. My services are no longer needed."

"You won't miss them?"

Mary smiled, just a little sadly. "The children are in danger as long as I remain close to them. It's best if I put them out of my mind."

Roxas nodded. She'd avoided the question, but the answer was clear. "So where're you going now?"

The smile left the nanny's face, replaced by a frown of consideration. "I don't dare go back to work. So long as the apprentices remain a threat, any children I care for shall be at risk." She thought for a moment. "I think I'll visit Merlin in the Radiant Garden. We haven't seen each other in quite some time, and it's been nearly as long since I've seen another world. I take it you're leaving as well?"

Kairi nodded. "We're just waiting on Pax."

Roxas searched the crowd behind them. "Where'd he go, anyway?"

Pax came running up to them a moment later, carrying the simple blue kite he'd made with Jane and Michael. There was a pleading expression on the his face. It was a perfect day for kite flying, and everyone in town seemed to be taking advantage of it.

The teens glanced at each other. Roxas smiled. "Why not? I've never flown one, either."

The boys said their goodbyes took off to join the crowd, and Kairi started to follow.

"One moment, Kairi," the nanny called. Kairi paused and turned around. "There's something I'd like you to have."

She handed the girl a simple bottle made of brown glass. "What is it?"

"My own special medicine. A spoonful will cure almost anything."

Kairi removed the stopper and gave the contents a curious sniff. "It smells like strawberries and cream."

"Does it? The flavor is a little different for everyone who drinks it. I'm sure you'll find a good use for it."

Kairi thanked the nanny, then ran off after her friends. Mary Poppins smiled, took one last look down the street at her former charges' smiling faces, turned, and was on her way.


	3. Paris

_To anyone who's been waiting for an update: Sorry this took so long. I've been getting blocked on this world so many times that it's not even funny. Hopefully you'll enjoy this despite the delays._

_Also, this one was turning out a little long, so I decided to break it in half. Part II should be coming up soon._

Paris

Kairi, Roxas, and Pax took in their surroundings with wide eyes. Laughter was in the air, dancers on stilts paraded through the streets, and strange costumes were everywhere, their bright colors almost blinding. They'd arrived in this world during a local holiday called the Feast of Fools, which amounted to the city becoming one big circus act.

Pax tugged on Kairi's arm, drawing her attention. "Can we look around for a while? Please?"

Kairi considered the question. "You can't feel Sora in this crowd, right?"

The boy shook his head. "Not unless we get close."

"Then we'll have to go looking anyway." She smiled. "Might as well enjoy ourselves."

Pax smiled and ran off toward a puppet show he'd noticed earlier. In his haste, he collided with a hunched figure with a dark blue cloak pulled over his face. The man gave an "Oof!" of surprise, and they both toppled.

Kairi ran to help the stranger up while Roxas did the same for Pax. "Are you alrigh-" She gasped. The hood had fallen back during the stranger's fall, revealing a grotesque face beneath; the features were uneven and lumpy, with a squashed nose and overgrown brows. "Um," the princess said, "great mask."

The big man blinked in confusion. "Mask? Oh! Right. Thank you." He accepted the hand, but was so heavy that he ended up doing most of the work anyway.

"Sorry about that," Roxas said, "Pax gets a little carried away." He studied the stranger a little more closely. "That costume _is_ pretty good. Really lifelike."

"Thanks," The stranger repeated, looking a little bewildered. He readjusted his hood, glancing around to see if anyone else had seen him before studying the trio more closely. "Yours are good, too. Are you performers?"

"No, just travelers." Kairi was impressed; most people tended to ignore off world clothing.

The stranger smiled. "I thought so. You don't look familiar, and I've seen almost everyone in this city."

"You must know the city pretty well, then."

The man wrung his hands nervously. "Oh, no, not really. I-"

"Come one! Come all! Hear the tale of Quasimodo, the Bellringer of Notre Dame!"

"Looks like the show's starting," Kairi remarked. "Want to watch it with us?"

The man gulped. "Oh… no, thank you. I should really be going." He hurried away from them, sticking to the edges of the crowd and pulling the hood further over his face.

Roxas stared after him for a moment. "Nice guy," he said. "Weird taste in masks, though."

"Yeah," Kairi agreed. She followed Pax closer to the stage with a puzzled frown on her face. Something about the puppet show had definitely startled the man. If it wasn't for that costume, she'd say his face had paled.

* * *

After a while, the trio followed the crowd as people made their way to the main event. A brief gap in the sea of humanity gave Kairi a glimpse of a wooden stage, behind which stood the massive bell towers of Notre Dame.

"Roxas!"

The Nobody's head whipped around in surprise, and Kairi followed his gaze curiously. Standing behind one of the stalls that lined the street was a small pink creature, with a bulbous nose, permanently squinted eyes, and a red pompom bobbing above its head on a small antenna. The creature itself didn't surprise the princess. She knew that Moogles kept shops on many worlds, including the Destiny Islands. What surprised her was the fact that it was wearing an Organization cloak.

"I knew it! I never forget a valued customer, kupo!"

"You know him?" Kairi asked.

Roxas shrugged. "Not really. There were some Moogles who worked pretty closely with the Organization, but I didn't get to know them all that well."

"Oh. That explains the cloak."

The Moogle nodded vigorously, causing its pompom to bob violently. "Looks great on me, doesn't it, kupo? I kept it as a reminder. Those years helping the Organization were some of the best of my career, kupo!"

Kairi frowned. "But the organization hurt so many people. You were okay with that?"

The Moogle dismissed the criticism with a wave of its stubby arm. "Business is business, kupo. Besides, I was too wrapped up in my work to care. Those nobodies were placing some really interesting synthesis orders. Speaking of which," he turned to Roxas and gestured toward the back of the shop. "I have a few things left over that you might be interested in, kupo."

The crowd cheered, and Kairi turned to look at the stage. There was a small explosion and a thick cloud of colorful smoke. Out of this stepped a beautiful woman in a long orange dress, whose skirts swirled around her like tongues of flame as she danced.

Roxas watched with the others as the dancer, much to the crowd's amusement, teased a grim-looking man seated at the opposite side of the stage. Then he tapped Kairi's shoulder to get her attention. "You and Pax go ahead and watch. I think I'll check this out."

The princess nodded and left, with Pax close behind. Together they worked their way through the spectators, and managed to reach the foot of the stage just in time for a big announcement. "And now, folks, here it is! The moment you've been waiting for. It's time to crown the king of fools!"

The audience gave a roar of approval as last year's king was brought onstage with the dancer and the colorfully dressed master of ceremonies, who Kairi recognized as the man who ran the puppet show. They were followed by a line of masked contestants which included, to his apparent surprise, the stranger Pax had run into earlier; the dancing woman had pulled him out of the crowd.

"Now you all know the rules," the puppet master said as he plucked the crown from the previous king's head and booted him off the stage into a convenient mud puddle. He paused a moment to let the crowd's laughter die down before continuing, "It's simple: once your mask is removed, make the most frightening face you can manage. The worst face is crowned the best! Is everyone ready?" The crowd gave a cheer in response. "Then let the contest begin!"

The dancer moved down the line removing masks as, one by one, the contestants made their faces. Each one was met with boos, jeers, and flying vegetables until the dancer came to the last one in line; the stranger. Kairi and Pax leaned forward, curious to see the face behind the mask. But the dancer drew back with a start; there was no mask to take.

There was a collective gasp. Then silence. And finally the whispers began. It was all in hushed tones, but Kairi managed to catch a few words here and there. "Monster," was the kindest of them.

Thankfully, the puppet master was quick to take control. "Ladies and gentlemen, don't be alarmed. We asked for the most frightening face in Paris, and here he is: Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame!" There was a roar of approval, and Kairi sighed in relief. _Good thing he knows how to work a crowd_. Quasimodo, for his part, looked overjoyed. He was crowned, loaded into a chair which was held up by four of the performers, and paraded through the cheering crowd among fistfuls of drifting confetti.

"I feel kind of bad for thinking his face was a mask," Kairi remarked.

"Don't worry. He wanted you to think that way. It made him less nervous."

The princess stared at Pax in surprise. "You knew?"

The boy shrugged. "He was blushing. Masks don't do that."

"Um… right." Kairi wondered what to say to that, but was spared the trouble of deciding when things started to go wrong.

Quasimodo had been returned to the stage, and was happily waving to the crowd when a tomato smashed against his face. The crowd fell silent as the hunchback wiped off the mess, staring at his red-stained hand in disbelief. Then another vegetable bounced off his shoulder, and a third off his back. Soon the crowd was pelting the poor man with a wave of flying produce. Quasimodo flung his arms up to keep his face clear and shot a pleading look to the grim man the dancer had toyed with. "Master!" But the man simply watched with a look of anger and, Kairi was almost sure, a certain cruel satisfaction in his expression.

It was more than the princess could take. She began to work her way towards the stage, nodding for Pax to follow. They had made it to the foot of the stage when someone yelled "Stop!", and a hush fell over the crowd.

The dancer was making her way across the stage toward Quasimodo. She knelt beside him, produced a handkerchief, and began to wipe away the tomato stains on his face, whispering what sounded like an apology.

The grim man glared at her. "You there," he said, "step away from that creature."

"Of course, sir," the woman replied, "just as soon as this crowd comes to its senses."

"You are an entertainer, are you not? You should allow the people their fun."

The dancer's eyes hardened. "I won't stand by while this poor man is treated so unjustly."

"You presume to speak to me of justice?"

"Someone has to! You mistreat him the same way you mistreat my people. Why should I let you pretend otherwise?"

The man's glare doubled in intensity. "Guards! Arrest this woman."

_Uh oh_, Kairi thought. She glanced around the edge of the stage, watching as armored figures gathered up their spears and closed in on the woman. "Should we stop them?" Pax whispered. The princess hesitated. Fighting off the guards would definitely be meddling, but she couldn't just stand by. She nodded, reaching out to summon her Keyblade-

And stared in surprise as some very different armored figures appeared. The dark circles of warp holes speckled the crowd as Soldier, Lance Soldier, and Armored Knight Heartless popped out of nowhere and began to converge on the stage. Someone screamed, and the crowd flooded out of the square. Surprisingly, the guards went with them.

"Every cloud has a silver lining," Kairi said wryly as Flowering Strength appeared in her hand.

Pax's hands shifted into his maces as he readied himself for battle. "Let's make this quick. Roxas isn't around to help."

The boy had a point, Kairi decided. It would probably be a good idea for her to transform and sketch up some help. She closed her eyes and reached out as she had during the battle with the Smoke Phantom, but the warm heart of Cherry Tree Lane didn't rise to meet her. Instead, she found something that reminded her of the feast's excitement and laughter.

As she withdrew with a portion of that presence, her clothes created a familiar dome of solidified light. When it broke, she found herself wearing her usual dress, but now in a two-tone color scheme; yellow on the right, violet on the left. A jester's hat in similar colors perched on her head, and her sneakers had become loose violet boots with curling toes. She had also gained a leather belt which held an assortment of juggling tools formed from separated pieced of her Keyblade: small knives formed from the shaft and tines, rings made from the hilt, and balls marked with the Paopu fruit keychain.

"Crown Fool," she said in surprise, voicing the name as it came to her. "That's not what I had in mind!"

Pax shouted a warning as an Armored Knight lunged at Kairi from behind. The princess caught the movement from the corner of her eye, back flipped to land on the creature's shoulders, pushed off, grabbed a knife from her belt, and threw it with an expert flick of her wrist. The weapon flew straight into a chink in its armor, and the Heartless dissolved before the princess touched the ground.

Kairi blinked. "Then again, this could work."

* * *

As he fled the scene of the battle (a public official could hardly be expected to deal with this sort of thing), Judge Frollo reflected on just how wrong the day had gone. The trouble had definitely started with the feast. Frollo hated peasant festivals. All that noise and foolishness never failed to give him a vicious headache. Then he'd found that his charge had disobeyed him, and his punishment had been interrupted by that beautiful, raven-haired woman…

_She. Is. A. Gypsy_! He reminded himself. Gypsies were thieves and sinners. They were _not_ beautiful. But even with that in mind, it took him the entire ride to the palace of justice just to get his mind away from her.

And then, of course, there were those… things. While they had, thankfully, brought an end to the festival, they were clearly not natural. Where had they come from?

The answer was seated comfortably in Frollo's chambers, paging through one of his books. He closed it slowly as the judge stepped in. "I hope you don't mind. I've always liked books, and you have some interesting reads."

"What are you doing here?" Frollo demanded, eyeing the intruder's strange white coat and silver-blue hair with disdain.

"No need to be unfriendly. I only wanted to know whether my help was appreciated."

The judge raised an eyebrow. "Your help?"

"With the arrest," the stranger clarified.

"Really? And what arrest was-" Frollo's eyes widened, and he stared at the stranger in disbelief. "It was you who summoned those creatures?"

The stranger smiled and got to his feet. "I thought my friends could be of some help." He paused a moment before continuing. "As I understand it, you're having some trouble with these 'gypsies'. You've been searching for their haven, a place called the Court of Miracles?" He went on, encouraged by the judge's silence. "That scene earlier was my trial offer. From now on, my cooperation comes with a small price. Nothing for nothing, you understand. But if we can come to an understanding, my friends will find those gypsies for you."

There was a full minute of heavy silence. Frollo was the first to break it. "A tempting offer, but you seem to forget that by making it, you admit to summoning those creatures." He reached into his robes and produced a long sword. "Therefore, you are guilty of the sin of witchcraft."

The intruder sighed. "Oh, well. And here I thought we could help each other." He held up his hand, and a slip of paper materialized between his fingers. "If you change your mind, just call this name. I'll be waiting." A dark portal materialized behind the stranger, and disappeared as he stepped into it. The paper fluttered to the floor behind him.

Frollo picked it up, read the name at a glance, and tossed it into the fireplace. He had no intention of asking the stranger's help, but knowing the witch's name could only aid in his capture. The judge considered it his personal mission to keep his city free of the dark forces, which clearly included the intruder and his "friends".

There was a knock at the door, followed by one of the guards. "Sir, the creatures outside the cathedral are gone."

"And the gypsy? Have you arrested her?"

"Apparently she fled to the cathedral."

Frollo fought to control his expression. He had no doubt that she would have claimed sanctuary, and as powerful as he was he had to respect the church. But that captivating… that gypsy could not be allowed to escape him. "Very well, then. Post guards around the church. Block all the exits. She can only claim sanctuary so long as she remains in the church." He sheathed his sword with a grim smile. _Gypsies don't do well inside stone walls. As soon as she leaves, she'll be mine_.

* * *

Kairi's throwing knife pierced the last Lance Soldier, and she leaned against the stage while she caught her breath. When she looked up, Roxas had rejoined them. "Did I miss something?"

"Nothing much," Kairi panted, "Just a few dozen Heartless. I think it's safe to say the festival is over."

"You still seem dressed for it. New form?"

"You should have seen her," Pax chipped in. "She was all over the place. I barely had to do anything."

The princess blushed as her clothes reverted to their normal state. She'd decided to make the best of her accidental transformation by exploring Crown Fool's powers, and found it had a lot to explore. Her experimenting had mown down the Heartless, and she was still coming up with new ideas. "Anyway, lets see if Quasimodo and-" she looked behind her to see an empty stage. "Where'd they go?"

"After all that?" Pax asked. "They probably went home."

Kairi's gaze traveled up to the cathedral. "Then I guess we know where to look."

* * *

"You know, I was expecting more dust up here," Kairi remarked. The insides of the bell tower fitted her expectations for the most part; mostly wooden framework, with the impossibly huge bells looming overhead. But very little dust, if any.

"I guess someone's had a lot of time to clean," Roxas replied.

"Hello?"

Kairi jumped and turned around slowly, but it was only the dancer. She had changed clothes at some point, and was now accompanied by a goat, but still recognizable. "I know you, don't I? Two of you were fighting off those creatures outside." She frowned. "Did you change clothes since then?"

"Something like that. My name's Kairi. This is Pax, and he's Roxas."

"Esmeralda," the woman replied. "Nice to meet you. By the way, have you seen Quasimodo anywhere? I followed him, but he lost me on the stairs. I'm beginning to wonder if he doubled back somehow."

Kairi shook her head. "We're looking for him, too."

There was a delighted exclamation from the other side of the room. During the conversation, Pax had wandered over to a table near the tower's balconies and discovered something that quickly drew the rest of the visitors.

"It looks like the city," Roxas said. "Just… smaller."

"Whoever did this has a real eye for detail," Kairi added. The buildings were almost perfect replicas, and the model's streets were crowded with small wooden citizens.

Esmeralda picked up one of the figures for a closer look. "I know these people," she said. "Here's the shepherd… and this looks like the baker." She noticed a few more of the figures under a rag at one end of the table. "I wonder who this is."

A large hand fell over the cloth before she could lift it. "Please… those aren't finished yet."

Most of the visitors jumped, but Pax took the bell ringer's sudden appearance in stride. "Did you make all this?"

"Most of it," the hunchback admitted. "There isn't much to do up here once the chores are done."

"It must get lonely up here," Kairi said, still recovering from the surprise.

"Oh, it's not just me up here. There's the birds, the bells, and of course the gargoyles," the bell ringer's face lit up. "Would you like to meet them?"

"Who, the gargoyles?" Roxas asked. Pax eyed the three stone figures at the other side of the room, which seemed to have been sculpted mid-argument.

Quasimodo's expression grew panicked. "N-No! I meant the bells. Everyone knows that stone can't talk."

Esmeralda gave him a reassuring smile. "I'd love to see them. Come on, Djali."

She followed Quasimodo into the rafters, followed by her busily crunching goat (Roxas noted that the model shepherd's flock seemed a bit smaller). The rest of the group stayed near the model. "He seems fine to me," Roxas said.

Kairi nodded. "I'm glad. He's been through a lot today." She paced over to the balcony and looked down on the city. "Wow," she said, "This is incredible!" The others rushed to join her, marveling at the view.

A glimmer caught Roxas' eye in the square below. "Those guys look like soldiers. I wonder what's going on."

Kairi followed his gaze. Sure enough, a group of armored men was forming in the square below. "Those look like the guys who were trying to arrest Esmeralda," she said. "We should probably check that out."

Roxas nodded. "I'm in." Kairi headed for the stairs. Roxas took a few steps in the same direction before he realized that no one was following. "Coming, Pax?"

Pax shook his head. "I think I'll stay here for a while. There's something I'd like to check."

Roxas shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, and followed Kairi down the stairs.

Pax waited until he couldn't hear their footsteps anymore, and then paced back to the trio of gargoyles, which he studied intently. One of them was small and portly, with a snout like a pig. Another looked mostly human, with an intelligent face and large, feathered wings. The third was hunched, female, and elderly-looking. But their appearances weren't what caught Pax's interest, so much as the hearts he'd sensed within them.

"I know you can hear me," Pax said. "The others are gone. You can wake up now."

* * *

It didn't take long for Kairi and Roxas to figure out what was going on. The guards had assembled in the square and been given their orders - during which Roxas had distinctly heard mention of "the gypsy"- and were then dispatched to take up there positions. They were being posted around every visible exit to the church.

"They're still after Esmeralda," Kairi whispered, "but why haven't they gone in after her?"

"Maybe they can't while she's in the church," Roxas replied.

"Maybe. Anyway, we have to go back and warn her."

"Yeah," the Nobody agreed. "Let's…hey!"

Kairi, drawn by the exclamation, looked down and was shocked to see Esmeralda's goat. It had gotten hold of Roxas' pant leg during their discussion and was making a valiant effort to drag him towards a nearby side street.

"Looks like he wants us to follow him," She observed.

"You think? Alright, already, we're coming! You can let go."

The goat obliged, releasing its grip and jerking its head for them to follow it. He led them out of sight of the main square and down a few back alleys, finally stopping in front of a beggar in a tattered cloak. The beggar patted the goat and surveyed the two figures before standing up, pulling back its hood.

Kairi gasped. "Esmeralda! But how did you…"

"The rooftops. I spotted the soldiers, and Quasimodo helped me escape," she replaced her hood, checking to make sure that no one else had seen. "Listen. Those creatures outside the cathedral… this isn't the first time I've seen them. They've been showing up in the catacombs for months. We've fought them off so far, but we aren't really sure what we're dealing with. Do you know anything about them?"

Kairi nodded. "They're called Heartless. We've been fighting them for a while now."

"Is there any way to get rid of them?"

Roxas shook his head. "If they're just randomly attacking, there isn't much we can do."

"But sometimes they'll align with someone." Kairi added. "If we can find and stop whoever's responsible, the attacks should die down." A thought struck her. "Do you think that guy who tried to arrest you could be behind this? He seems like the type."

"Judge Frollo?" Esmeralda shook her head. "I thought so at first, too. But it doesn't make sense. He's been poking around looking for the Court for years, and some of those Heartless things have actually reached the entrance. If they'd told him where it was, he'd already have attacked."

"Back up a second." Roxas said. "What Court?"

"The Court of Miracles. It's our hideout, a place where we can rest without worrying about Frollo's guards."

Kairi frowned. "How many people are living there?"

"Hundreds."

"Then let us help you out." She glanced at Roxas, waiting for his agreement.

The Nobody nodded. "If you'll lead us there, we'll help fight them off."

Esmeralda blinked. "You'd do that for us?"

"Of course," Kairi replied instantly. "We can't let all those people get hurt."

The dancer studied their faces for a moment, deciding that the offer was genuine. "Alright, then. Follow me."

_Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review. More reviews = happier authors = higher motivation = more frequent updates = WORLD PEACE! (Probably. Maybe. Okay, I lied)_

_Till next time._


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